Snapshots
by ramblez.on
Summary: "I needed you, and you left." Sam's brow furrowed, his eyes searing into hers. "You didn't need me, you needed a tether." Leticia breathed, tears forming in her eyes. "Something to hold you to this world, to your humanity." Snapshots of Sam's relationship with an old friend from Stanford who crisscrosses his path. Rated M for sex/language
1. Chapter 1: Fire Escapes

The sky was dark when Leticia finally clicked her laptop shut, running a weary hand over her eyes. She glanced at the clock in the kitchen and cursed quietly to see it screaming that it was only a couple of hours until sunrise. Shifting her books and laptop into a stack at the end of her sofa, she stood and stretched, rolling the kinks out of her neck. All these hours spent bent over her dissertation were ruining her posture. She felt her back creak and decided a hot shower and her pjs was her reward for 5 hours of writing.

Humming absently, Leticia made her way down the hall stopping once to examine the shadows under her eyes as she passed the mirror in the entryway. Her studies were taking an intense toll on her nerves but she was making amazing headway in her field. So she shrugged off the frizzy hair and tired eyes, saying it was the price of academia.

Turning the shower knob as hot as she could stand, she kicked off her sweats and pulled the loose tank top over her tangled, dark mass of hair. The hot water instantly soothed her, calming her mind and relaxing her shoulders. She let out a long, happy sigh, working her fingers into her curls.

Her relaxation was short-lived as movement in the upper-right corner of her eye caused the hair on Leticia's neck to rise. The small fishing line running across the ceiling was vibrating, a feather and tassel bouncing wildly.

The fire escape window was open. She never left the fire escape window open

Slipping silently out of the shower and grabbing her tank top off the ground, Lettie reached for the .45 in her laundry hamper. Safety off and fully loaded, she eased the door open. She moved slowly and quietly down the hall, careful with her wet, bare feet to make no sounds. Leticia rounded the corner to the living room, quickly aiming at the large shadow hunched over on her couch.

"Woah, Lettie don't shoot!" The shadow grunted in surprise, hands raised.

The shadow sounded familiar, the large mass morphing into a shape Leticia knew well.

"Holy fuck Sam, what the shit?" Leticia cried, quickly lowering her gun and flicking on the lights. "I could've killed you! Knock much?"

"I thought this would be more nostalgic? Like back at school..." Sam shrugged sheepishly, his eyes glued to the carpet in front of him.

"That's the dumbes…" She trailed off, trying to figure out what he was looking at. "Oh.."

Lettie was all at once very aware the she was dripping wet in a white, now translucent, tank top and nothing else.

"Fuck, sorry! I thought you were here to kill me so…" She gestured lamely, placing the gun on a table and making Sams eyes dart up at the motion.

His eyes glazed over, his breathing shallow as he noticed Leticia's wet curls clinging to her face and shoulders. She somehow looked exactly the same and yet completely different. Her skin darker, her shape softer and her shirt hiding nothing as it clung to her wet form. _Shit..._

Sam cleared his throat loudly, "Go get dressed and I'll fill you in."

His eyes were once more glued to the carpet, cheeks flaming.

"Right, yeah. Okay." Leticia stammered, her face hot as she darted back down the hall.

Sam busied himself with making a pot of coffee, everything exactly where he remembered it to be.

He smiled lightly, "You were always a creature of habit."

* * *

" _Jess, Sam there you are!" Leticia huffed, her eyebrows raised in question. "What happened to coffee and studying before the bio lab? We do this every week!" She glanced dramatically at her watch._

" _Sorry Lettie, we got- umm... sidetracked." Jess blushed, smiling and not meeting Sam's eyes._

" _Ew. Nevermind." Lettie rolled her eyes, shoving a tray with 2 lattes at Sam. "Let's go, if we're late the creepy grad assistant will make me sit next to him."_

 _Sam laughed, "Come on L, I think you should give him a break. The guy's got it bad."_

" _So? That's not my fault!" Leticia scoffed, "It's hard enough to pass that class without some dude breathing down my neck!"_

 _Jess snickered, wrapping her arm around Sam as they began to walk._

 _They made their way towards the science buildings, Lettie and Jess chatting about their class schedules for the fall semester. Jess and Leticia had managed to get no classes on Fridays and were making plans for weekend road trips down to San Diego or over to Tahoe. Jess threw her head back laughing, her blonde hair shining in the California sun, a stark contrast to her friend's short dark curls._

 _The girls were loud and carefree as they walked through campus. They joked and gossiped and made plans for summer in the Bay. Sam smiled and shook his head, sipping his coffee. He waved at one of his prelaw friends across the way, amazed at how normal his life had turned out to be._

* * *

"I need your help." Sam handed Lettie hot coffee in her favorite mug as she entered the kitchen fully dressed.

Leticia nodded, taking in the changes in her old college friend. His hair was longer, tucked behind his ears. His shoulders seemed larger but slumped, like he bore weights on his wrists. The wrinkle between his eyebrows was more pronounced, as if he has been worried constantly for the past 3 years.

Sam was explaining something about a case and ancient Chumash rituals being used by a local witch coven.

Lettie realized she had been watching his lips wrap around words as he spoke and she shook herself out of it.

"3 years, Sam." She whispered.

"I know, L… I know. I should've-" Sam stammered

"Sam, it's been 3 years." Leticia stated, louder than before. Her eyes locked with his own, the deepness of his reminding her of hot New Orleans nights, white curtains and fingers tangled in her hair.

"I was-" Sam floundered, taking a step towards her.

"Busy." She deadpanned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Too busy saving the world and fighting monsters." Her voice began to rise with anger she didn't know she still housed.

"Too busy to send a text, leave a voicemail, anything? Just so I know you're alive?" Leticia was searching his eyes for an answer to a question she had asked since the day she woke up alone in Seattle.

"I'm sorry." Sam sighed, hesitantly reaching a hand out to rest on her shoulder.

His hand on her skin, calloused and warm made her head spin. For Sam, it he heard bells.

* * *

 _Leticia threw handfuls of flower petals over the laughing bride and groom as the church bells rang. All of her family gathered on the steps of the old New Orleans church that her grandparents had once been married in, and that her mother had been baptized in. Now her playboy brother had become an honest man, escorting his wife Lina to their car._

 _The look of pure adoration they shared as he helped gather her dress and gently closed the car door was almost too much for Lettie. She sighed wistfully, leaning her head on her date Kevin's shoulder. She was so happy when he agreed to be her plus one, brushing off her nervousness that they had only been dating for a month. She wouldn't have made it through this ordeal without him making her laugh and holding her hand through the family drama._

" _Come on gorgeous, let's get some drinks!" He said snapping her out of her trance. He kissed her on the cheek, throwing the last of his petals over her head. Leticia laughed and spun around, throwing hers to join the flower shower she was dancing in._

" _That's the church Sammy." Dean grunted, handing the binoculars to his brother in the passenger seat. "The remains are buried in that plot on the_ _right."_

 _Sam peered through the binoculars and his breath caught. "No way." He leaned forward, watching as Leticia Cole spun around in a storm of flower petals, her smile brightening the already sun-soaked day._

 _"_ _What is it?" Dean asked, squinting through the windshield._

 _"_ _It's nothing, umm… I just saw someone." Sam lowered the binoculars his mind racing, distracted._

 _Dean grabbed the binoculars and looked back at the church entrance just in time to see Lettie take Kevin's arm and saunter down the road laughing._

 _"_ _Well, well... Hello gorgeous." Dean murmured. "When's the last time you spoke to Lettie?"_

 _Sam sighed, his head falling back on the chair._

 _"_ _When I was soulless…" He said, eyes closing as the last words he said to her rang in his ears._

 _"_ _Ouch..." Dean clucked his tongue. "Did you guys…" He wagged his eyebrows even though_ _Sam's eyes were closed._

" _Let's just finish this case." Sam sighed, motioning for Dean to start the car._

 _As the drove away from the church, Sam kept his eyes focused on the road, trying desperately to push the memories of Leticia's hair wrapped in his fist, her back arched in front of him as she called his name._

* * *

Leticia sighed, "What do you need Sam?" She shrugged his arm off and walked to the sofa, coffee in hand.

"And don't tell me it's about a simple Chumash ritual. You could translate that yourself."

Sam sat opposite her on a chair, trying to catch her eyes, but Lettie was purposely focused on her coffee.

"I need you to get me into the Stanford Library Archives."

"Sure, that's eas-"

"Then I need you to help me steal and replace an entire collection."


	2. Chapter 2: New Orleans

_July, 2013_

Her dreams were interrupted by the far off sound of a single trumpet, soloing in the cool morning air. Lettie stretched her feet out from under the sheets, arms raising to the headboard. As her hand traced the carved wood, she was flooded with memories of gripping that very headboard the night before, Sam's arms wrapped around her as he made the most wonderful sounds into her hair.

She peeked over at the man sleeping beside her, the curve of his chest rising and falling steadily, his arm slung over his eyes. Her eyes traced the path her lips has following the night before. His neck, collar to his chest, down the planes of his stomach. Lettie took a deep breath, her mind swimming at the thought of his body shuddering because of her.

Quietly she slipped out of bed, grabbing her bra and sundress from the day before and heading to the bathroom. After she washed her face, Lettie marvelled at the lack of marks or bruises on her skin. Being with Sam this time was completely different. He was more present, savoring every touch and kiss, teasing and controlling every moment. It was enthralling the way he firmly and gently directed her, his voice low and heavy. Nothing like the man she had been with years before, the man who was missing a part of himself.

Lettie stepped out onto the small balcony overlooking the French Quarter, trying to find the soloist playing somewhere below. It must've been early, the sun not high enough to clear the buildings and banish the cool air. She tried to keep herself from wondering if Sam would be leaving today. His case over, there's no real reason to stay. Dean must be in some motel nearby, anxious to get back on the road. How many years would it be this time?

"Hey there," Sam murmured, his hands sliding around her waist. "I opened my eyes and all I could smell on the sheets was you, but you were gone." He nuzzled into her neck, inhaling deeply. "I'd forgotten how incredible you smell."

Lettie sighed, leaning back into his tall frame.

"Worried I'd taken off?" She joked.

"You've done it before," Sam said quietly.

Lettie stiffened, pushing away from the warmth of his arms. Anger and sadness rose quickly, making her throat ache as she looked out onto the quiet streets.

"I honestly didn't think you would care." She said, her voice shaky, arms crossed defensively. "Back then, you didn't care about anything."

"I needed you, and you left." Sam brow furrowed, his eyes boring into hers.

"You didn't need me, you needed a tether." Lettie breathed, tears forming in her eyes. "Something to hold you to this world, to your humanity." She turned away gripping the railing, struggling to keep her breathing in check. Sam stayed silent, waiting for her to explain, to tell him why she ran.

"If I had stayed, you would've consumed me, Sam." Sam heart lurched at the pain in Lettie's voice.

"You needed your brother… You needed Dean to-"

"I ruined my brother's life!" Sam growled, immediately flinching as Lettie jumped and spun around to face him.

He reached for her hand, holding it in both of his. Breathing slowly, Sam ran his thumb over her knuckles, before pressing a kiss to her hand.

"He had love, he had a family." Sam sighed, "When you left, I took him away from that, I stole his happiness."

"Oh, Sam..." Lettie whispered, her hand stroking his cheek.

There was a despair in his face that just grew as the years passed by. What more could these brothers possibly endure? They had done impossible things and survived impossible losses.

Lettie leaned up to press her lips to his neck, his jaw and finally his lips.

Sam hummed as Lettie threaded her fingers into his hair, pulling him deeper into her kiss.

As his lips moved against hers she tried to tell him everything she couldn't say. She tried to tell him that everything would be ok, that she was ok. That his world could wait as long as he was wrapped up in hers. She sighed as his hands circled her waist, holding her tight against him.

Lettie slowly backed Sam through the door and into the room. When Sam's legs hit the bed, she gently pressed his shoulders until he was sitting in front of her. Sam's hands gripped her ass as she pulled on the hair at the base of his neck, her teeth catching his bottom lip.

Sam groaned deep in his chest and slid straps off her shoulders.

As his lips trailed her jaw and neck, Lettie wished she could take away all of the sadness and pain. That the world outside could fix itself and she could spend her days making this amazing man fall apart inside her.

"Sam, I..." His hands found the zipper of her dress and she gasped lightly as her dress and bra fell around her ankles. His hands moved up her thighs, lips encircling her nipple. Lettie moaned, her head falling back, hands threading through soft brown hair.

"Shit," Sam moaned when his hand met her core unobstructed, Lettie's panties still tossed somewhere from the previous night. "How are you so wet?" His fingers slid down dipping into her slowly, making Lettie's knees weak.

"I guess you're doing something right." She gasped out.

In one smooth motion, Sam had Lettie on the bed, his body settled between her thighs, hand never leaving her center.

"You always feel right," He muttered between kisses along her collar.

Lettie bit her lip, a muffled whimper escaping her throat as Sam's fingers continued to rub, slide and curl into her.

"Sam," She breathed, "That feels... incredible." Her hips rolled and her eyes slid closed as his fingers curled inside her, sending a delicious tingle through her body. Lettie smiled and bit her lip to keep her from crying out.

Sam watched, mesmerized as Lettie faced glowed with pleasure. Her neck arched, lips wet, fingers twisting her nipples slowly as she rolled her hips with the motion of his hand. He wanted to watch her come undone again and again. He wanted to make her forget about everything he had been before and fill her with nothing but heat and desire.

Same lowered his mouth to her neck, his nose brushing the shell of her ear.

"Lettie, I want you to come for me. But not until I say so." He lightly stroked her clit with his thumb, making Lettie's back arch, her hand grasping his shoulder.

She moaned and nodded.

"I'm going to count down from 20, L." He murmured, increasing the pressure on her clit.

Sam focused on her breath, the way it would hitch with each curl of his finger, how she moaned through her exhales. He knew she was close, her nails biting into his skin.

Leticia couldn't focus, her mind darting between the heat of his body and the rhythm of his fingers. His soft voice counting down in her ear was almost enough to push her over the edge.

"15… 14..." His thumb pressing harder.

"Sam… I can't… I need-"

"You can, baby. You will." Sam's voice was even despite his cock growing rigid as she begged for release. "12… 11…"

Lettie gasped, as his fingers moved faster. She fought to keep her legs still, clenching her toes together. Sam's lips were on her shoulder, her collarbone, and she focused on the brush of his stubble along her skin. The light pressure of his lips.

"5… 4…"

"Oh my god…" Lettie whispered as his thumb rolled tight circles against her.

"2… 1... " Lettie's eyes rolled back, her mouth falling open with a groan.

"Now." As Sam spoke, Lettie's gasped her back arching off the bed, thighs quivering. Sam felt her walls close in on his fingers as he worked her through her orgasm.

The walls blurred and Lettie felt like time slowed. The breeze through the curtains in the corner of her eye, the feel of cotton sheets threaded into her fingers all caught in a moment of suspended pleasure.

"You are beyond beautiful." Sam voice brought her back down, and she needed him more than she ever wanted to admit to out loud.

Lettie kissed Sam hard, pulling his body down on hers. Sam hitched her thigh up around his hip grinding into her, relishing the friction.

"Shorts. Off." She whispered urgently tugging at his waistband.

Sam sat up, pushing his boxers off his hips while Lettie reached for a condom on the bedside table. While Sam kicked away his shorts, Lettie settled herself in front of him biting her lip. Sam was rock hard and begging to be touched. Lettie wrapped her lips around him, sucking lightly as her tongue lapped the moisture collected at the tip. Sam let out a strangled groan as she released him, sliding the condom over the tip. Her lips were soon on him again, working her way down until he was fully covered.

"God, L- You're too good at that." Sam soon had his arms under Lettie's knees, pulling her up so she was looking into his eyes. She gripped his shoulders tightly as he lowered her onto him.

"Mmmm, yes." Lettie hissed. He fit so perfectly, filling her entirely and stretching her just enough.

"Shit- I'm not going to last long." Sam moaned, as he fucked her slow and hard.

"Let me ride you," Lettie gasped, running her nails along his skin. "Sam, I want you to come for me. Please."

Sitting back on haunches, Sam slid his arms up her sides. He kissed Lettie deeply and growled as she began to rock and swirl against him.

There was something electric about that moment. Maybe it was the way Lettie arched her back, her waist rolling to keep Sam buried inside her. Maybe it was the intensity with which Sam gripped Lettie's hip, his hand cupping her jaw as he ran his tongue along neck.

Maybe it was the cool morning breeze through the white curtains, the trumpet playing slowly in the New Orleans streets below them.


End file.
